Of Blood and Ink
by Akaikazemori
Summary: Between defeating the past, inheriting a clan, and falling for the enemy, life sure is chaotic. "Yokai are tricky, I need to be trickier. So I lie."


**Of Blood and Ink**:

Description:

Between defeating the past, inheriting a clan, and falling for the enemy, life sure is chaotic. "Yokai are tricky, I need to be trickier. So I lie."

Currently Decided Pairings (These may change later, and I will be adding more. If you don't like these pairings then don't read the story. Some may seem random, but I have changed the characters/structured the story in ways that will make the pairings make sense.) Rikuo x Yura, Ryuuji x Awashima, Zen x Tsurara, Akifusa x Kana, Kurotobo x Torii, Kyotsugu x Maki, Kubinashi x Kejoro

Hello everyone! Nurarihyon no Mago is one of my favorite animes, but there are not many fanfics for it, so I decided to make my own. This story will be long, but I do not know if it will have a sequel or just be one huge story.

This story is rated PG-13 for possible future violence.

All pairings/characters are mxf.

'Thinking' 'quotes' "Talking" _Flashbacks emphasis._

I will be editing or even re writing this later, since I have not had the time to edit this story as much as I have wanted. Since this is a fanfiction, some things like character ages, personalities, and even lineages, are changed. A major change is to Awashima's character. In this story, she has no ability to change into a male, and her past is different.

**I do not own the Nurarihyon no Mago story and its characters. Original characters are copyright to me unless stated otherwise.**

…...

…...

"Sakura..." a soft voice whispered, only to be spirited away by the cold breeze. The small human let out a light breath as she continued on her way. Soft pink petals drifted past, a ghostly procession twisting in the winds as it paraded away into the night.

As far as the girl knew, there was only one sakura tree that would still be blooming in early autumn. Yura nearly smiled as the light trace of the sakura's scent seeped into her senses. It was almost as if that strange, eternally blooming plant was welcoming her back...or warning her away. The tree did grow in a yokai mansion, after all, it had no reason to welcome the likes of onmyoji into its territory.

'Fantasizing about a tree's non existent feelings? I always suspected that your brain was wired strangely...' The thought snaked into Yura's mind unbidden, interrupting her pleasant reveries. She couldn't help but imagine those words: Ryuuji's spiteful response to her earlier thoughts. She always imagined her brother's responses to things to see what he would tease her about, and therefore what she should avoid mentioning. But even if that action helped her avoid her brother's taunting sometimes, it still made her angry all the same. Trust Ryuuji to kill her joy with his jerkish ways even while he wasn't around!

And he wondered why she didn't treat him as kindly as she did Akifusa and Mamiru... 'Hmph!' she scowled as she clenched her hands into fists.

'I'll make him regret it when I'm the new clan head! I'll...I'll...' but inspiration for punishments and preventive measures failed her, causing the girl to kick the ground in frustration. Her foot collided with a pebble, sending the little stone skittering along the ground until it struck a wooden mass with a quiet 'tick'. She blinked as she realized what the pebble had hit: the currently shut gates of the Nura Compound. She didn't know all the habits of this clan, but she knew such a large alliance of yokai probably had visitors in and out of the compound even in the middle of the night, so there was no reason to close the gate as long as there were guards. Maybe those creatures decided to get even stricter with their security, but the onmyoji didn't see the point when most yokai could get around gates. Perhaps there were sensors around the perimeter? Opening the gate or climbing one of the walls could alert the Nura if a guard didn't let the visitor through...

"Yo." The slightest undertone of danger sank its fangs into Yura at the sound of that dark, calm voice. She froze, her heart pounding with the slight stab of adrenaline that voice sent through her veins.

The wind slithered through the air, mysterious and ghostly, taunting the cherry blossoms into a hollow dance. Slowly, Yura looked up and to her right until her gaze took in the tall, lean form of a yokai sitting on the top of the wall next to the gate. His face held a shadow of a smirk, and his long, silver and ebony mane of hair blew gently in the wind. It stuck out oddly in a way that would be laughable if the yokai himself didn't give off such a magnificent aura. But if asked...Yura was sure she would just say that Rikuo Nura's hair made him look like he was addicted to hair gel. There was absolutely no way she was going to tell him that he really looked...well, she didn't know. Handsome or something, in her mind, yokai were cocky enough without receiving any compliments.

And when had he...? A slight ripple of annoyance flitted through her as she realized she hadn't sensed him until he spoke. She had to admit there was also an instinctive sliver of fear hiding within her annoyance as well. This wretch was harmless, but she was understandably wary of all yokai. It scared and embarrassed her whenever one got the better of her.

"You seem agitated."

'Well, damn you for noticing...' Yura growled in her mind. There was no way she ever wanted to present fear and irritation to anyone. According to Ryuuji, though, her emotions could be read as easily as an open book. Considering how easily she was picked on at times, she reluctantly admitted that that must be true.

"Nura kun." Yura greeted as calmly as possible.

Rikuo landed lightly on the ground, and a moment later, the gates swung silently inward as if startled by his sudden movement. "Gozu and Mezu noticed you coming, everyone is waiting." His arm swept toward the gate in a slight 'come in' gesture.

The girl looked past him for a glimpse of the lively Nura mansion. Now that the gate was open, she could see the ground floor windows alight and dancing with yokai silhouettes. She fondly remembered the mischievous creature's antics as they celebrated the victory over Hagorimo Gitsune. The entire Night Parade flooded the Keikain house with activity for several days while the prominent members of both clans sorted out strategies and a temporary alliance. Normally, Yura would have been annoyed at the yokai 'invasion' of her clan's compound, but seeing Ryuuji walk around with a little storm cloud over his head for a few days made it all worthwhile. Her yokai hating brother was usually one who persecuted rather than being persecuted. Yet, even though the yokai had generally ignored him, he couldn't help being annoyed as he watched the yokai devour all the Keikain family's food. But what really angered him was the clan wide orders to deal with the Nura wretches peacefully. The onmyoji girl was secretly grateful to her former enemies, for torturing Ryuuji was a task that she always failed at.

She was very tempted to enter the Nura home and join in whatever it was they were celebrating, but she couldn't. "I'm sorry, Nura kun, but I need to be heading back." She extended a long, thin object in his direction, a familiar shape that the yokai's sharp eyes readily absorbed.

A few strides forward later, and Rikuo claimed the offered item. The cold, comfortable weight of the blade resting inside its ornate scabbard was a welcome thing.

He drew the blade, admiring the way its metal length glanced moonlight off its smooth surface. He could sense the power within coiling gently up his arm like a serpent, rejoicing in the warmth and power of its master. "Nenekirimaru..." the yokai murmured with a smirk.

"Give Akifusa my regards, Nenekirimaru has never felt so...awake."

Yura just smiled. "He told me to thank _you_ for allowing him to work on such a legendary blade."

Rikuo chuckled, sheathing Nenekirimaru before turning his gaze back to the young onmyoji. He turned and began walking back inside the Nura gates, but then, he stopped and tilted his head toward her. "You really haven't changed much. You should eat more, then maybe you can finally grow tall enough to slash of an enemy's head. Unless you actually _like _having to be rescued all the time..."

"Eh?" Yura started angrily. She scowled up at his arrogant face with an irritated scowl. Why did he have to ruin the moment by reminding her that she was so short? All the Nura yokai did that, even the ones who were only a quarter of her size...

Cross for the second time that night, the girl just resigned herself to the fact that she would have to live with pests antagonizing her at all times. She turned and resisted the urge to stomp as she walked away. "I'm tall enough to kill you, I'll prove it after Nue is defeated and the Keikain-Nura alliance is broken." She tossed the words over her shoulder, even if they both knew she only half meant them. It would really be a pity if they had to become enemies. Especially after a war when their clans should be recovering their strength instead of reducing it...

"Keikain san..." Rikuo's voice stopped Yura in her tracks. She turned back to face him and blinked as she noticed his changed expression. The yokai was still in the same pose, regarding her with his narrow red gaze. But all traces of his cocky expression were gone, chased away by the calm and sincere expression that had invaded his visage.

"Taunting aside, thank you." without the yokai arrogance about him, Yura could see traces of the human Rikuo she had befriended months before, when the chaos with Hagorimo Gitsune had yet to begin.

"As an ally, you are welcome back here any time you desire." And with that, the young yokai lord continued to stride into the courtyard.

The young onmyoji's gaze followed him until he entered the Nura mansion and the gates swung closed, hiding the ethereal being from sight.

"...You're welcome, Nura kun..."

…...

"Tch..."

Water glimmered like the edge of a blade, mirroring the silent, watchful moon. The torrential tide compacted before bursting forth, mixing with the bright red blood that exploded from the once living yokai. Monster corpse bits fell like rain, causing the boy to grimace with disgust as he watched his enemy struggle through its last movements. He picked a few bloody chunks of ayakashi flesh out of his hair and off his cloak, scowling all the while.

At least there was one less ayakashi in existence. But there wasn't any way Ryuuji could be happy about that when the only reason he bothered to go after the yokai was because of his idiot brother.

"By hell, Mamiru, what are you being so reckless for?" the boy called the water back as the yokai's aura drifted into oblivion, leaving purer air and Ryuuji's fowl mood behind. "I told you, you are in no condition to attempt heroics."

Mamiru just watched with the blank stare that had become annoyingly common of him lately. "Yokai are black, I am white. I was performing my duty." he said emotionlessly.

Ryuuji resisted the urge to growl as GenGen flowed back into its water cask. The boy placed the shikigami's container beside the others he kept in his cloak, glaring at his troublesome adopted brother. Sometimes the pest was stupidly obedient when he should instead adapt to the situation at hand, and other times...he was defiant when Ryuuji needed him to follow orders. At this rate, that moron was going to get killed.

Why couldn't Mamiru obey when Ryuuji told him not to fight unless it was an emergency? If Mamiru pushed himself too far, he would die before they could come close to finding a cure. Ryuuji would wonder why he even bothered try and help Mamiru, but the answer was far too clear: he felt guilty for being the reason for a comrade's death. His earliest memories were filled with his parent's reminders to always protect his comrades, for that was the kind of thing that separated onmyoji from yokai. His parents were murdered by a yokai, so there was no way he was going to act like an ayakashi and let his parents down. Pride and fear also contributed to his determination, however. Giving up would mean that a yokai had beat him and take yet another onmyoji's life. And if the rest of the clan found out, he might be punished for keeping Mamiru's condition a secret for so long. In essence, he was bound by loyalty, his own fears and his ideals.

Time was running out, however, so Ryuuji was more cross than usual. "I should just kill you, preserving your existence is tiring." the yokai hater grumbled before turning and continuing on his way, his cloak fluttering lightly in the breeze.

"Should?" Mamiru replied as he began walking. He easily caught up to the shorter boy with his long strides. "If you have decided to stop helping me, then where are we going? There are not many yokai this way."

'I wasn't serious about killing you, idiot, there's no way someone 'should' kill a human out of annoyance...' Ryuuji thought as he shook his head from side to side.

"I'm going this way for the scenery." the black haired boy rolled his eyes, his words carrying a sarcastic bite.

"Oh...that makes sense, this mountain _is_ an interesting place..." Mamiru murmured, looking down the moonlit path that wound up the mountain like a snake's coils. Mist shrouded the roots of the trees, hiding the crickets and who knew what else that was making its midnight noise.

Ryuuji massaged his forehead. For some reason he kept forgetting that Mamiru had lost whatever intelligence he had after..._that _incident. Mamiru was still a skilled onmyoji, but it was obvious that he had changed significantly since he couldn't even understand obvious sarcasm.

'It's not like you can blame him...this is your fault...' a traitorous voice hissed in his mind, that puppet yokai that had fought him and Mamiru about six years ago. No, that yokai was dead, but the wretch's voice had stayed in his mind ever since the _incident, _accusing Ryuuji at every turn. He was lucky that very few, if any, Keikain had figured out what was up with Mamiru. A few would probably want to execute Mamiru, or would punish Ryuuji for his incompetence, which was the start of all this trouble. Even if Mamiru's condition became public knowledge and no one did anything, it would still distract the clanmembers from their efforts to defeat Nue. Many thought Mamiru's power had simply grown, and indeed, his skills had increased. But they had no idea that Mamiru was actually dying. Or if they did, they were just kind enough not to mention it.

"No emergency, no fighting. Don't tell me your brain's eroded so much that you can't remember four words." Ryuuji griped at Mamiru.

Mamiru blinked, emotionless and confused all at once. "But...there was a yokai..." he began. "All yokai are emergencies, for all must be destroyed."

The black haired boy's teeth clenched in frustration. "Whatever, just shut up until I forget I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

"Alright..." Mamiru's hollow voice replied.

With a sigh, Ryuuji himself took in his surroundings. Mamiru was right about one thing, this mountain did look magnificent. Immediately to their left, the path gave way to open air, and far below, trees swayed gently in the wind, crowning misty forests that were favored hiding places for the local wildlife. The dense stands of trees held hoards of mystery and legend, sparking excitement among the hundreds of tourists that explored Japan each year.

Silence and mountain scenery weren't so blissful when one's mind was plagued, though. This place reminded him of that battle six years ago, and consequently he felt almost tense enough to summon GenGen. So this place was not just beautiful, it was actually a bit creepy, even if that shouldn't matter since he could destroy anything that could possibly threaten him around here.

Six years ago he was still inexperienced, and still far too easily deceived by opponents. His tendency toward trickery had only allowed him to see obvious means of deceiving an opponent. At that time, his lies were still unrefined and did not ensnare as effectively as his deceptions did now. And, far more importantly, he was not very aware of the snares his opponents were capable of setting.

His mind rushed now, remembering the adrenaline that pounded through his blood, and how his narrow minded obsession for one goal caused his surroundings to blur as he pursued his target.

_His gaze burned forward, his rage building with every step he took in the dark of the midnight forest. There was nothing that could turn him aside from his path, not even Mamiru's persistent warnings..._

Ryuuji increased his pace as the memory resurfaced in his mind, almost as vivid as when it occurred. He remained aware of his surroundings, even as the memory that had burned him for the past six years set fire through his veins.

"_Ryuuji!" Damn it, why couldn't he listen? "Ryuuji, back off! The wretch is leading you into a trap!"_

_Ryuuji ignored Mamiru and pulled out a shikigami instead. At that moment, nothing was more important than destroying that murderous, arrogant... _

"_Augh!" Ryuuji stumbled as pain exploded in his shoulder. He panted as his eyes darted around, desperately trying to locate his attacker. Dark chuckles crept through the air, getting nearer and nearer to the wounded child. The boy's hand clenched a nearby clump of grass to help steel himself against the pain as he searched the ground for the paper he needed to summon GenGen. He couldn't see where he dropped the shikigami summoner, and without it... _

"_You may devour this one, Ishiko..." a sneering voice announced. Ryuuji pushed himself to his feet and turned toward the speaker, backing away toward a tree. He couldn't see the 'Ishiko' that this yokai referred to, all he could see was the puppet-like yokai that loomed ten yards in front of him. The thing was pretty much just a black silhouette, so it would have been invisible if not for the glowing silver outlines that edged the creature's form. Blood trickled down Ryuuji's shoulder, but he didn't think the wound was life threatening unless he had been poisoned or this fight lasted too long. But he would be killed within the next few moments if he didn't find his shikigami, or resort to _that _technique. But that technique had a good chance of killing him too._

"_Ryuuji!" the word rang through the air, startling Ryuuji into turning his gaze away from his only visible enemy. Blood sprayed into the air, and Ryuuji's eyes widened as he saw Mamiru blocking the shadowy form of a humanoid yokai. Mamiru winced as his hand was impaled on the enemy's dagger, and Ryuuji distantly wondered how Mamiru could keep such an iron grip on the enemy's dagger hand even though several muscles in his hand had been sliced clean through. The yokai was even worse off, though, snarling as she struggled to pull herself away from the blade that Mamiru rammed through the lower part of her ribcage. Energy surged from Mamiru's hands and into the blades, consuming the wretch's body in electricity like power. The yokai screamed in agony, weakening steadily as she writhed in pain. _

_Ryuuji took advantage of the sudden presence of extra light and searched for his shikigami. He snatched up the vaguely human shaped paper scrap and charged the puppet yokai. But where was the other ayakashi? He knew for a fact that there were three..._

"_Garo, devour!" the boy shouted, releasing a gleaming blue tide of water upon the puppet. The enemy dodged skillfully, releasing several echoing laughs before Garo managed to hit the yokai, bursting and washing over its victim on impact. The shikigami's long fangs sank deep into its prey, crunching into the yokai's neck and shoulders. The ayakashi roared, struggling desperately against the tide. Ryuuji sneered in satisfaction as he made a sign with each hand to focus his spiritual energy. With one simple movement, Garo constricted, shattering the puppet with vicious ease. The monster disintegrated as Ryuuji ran off to help Mamiru with the final ayakashi._

"_HA!" a feminine voice gloated. The raven haired onmyoji raced past the dead ayakashi girl Mamiru had apparently killed. Fear twisted inside Ryuuji, for he knew that Mamiru must have found the final yokai, and that that victory cry had to mean his comrade had lost. He leaped over several bushes and landed in a small clearing where he stopped cold. The blade that Mamiru must have taken from that other yokai was now in this third ayakashi's hand, slick with bright red human blood. _

_Ryuuji could distinctly feel his blood as it pounded through his veins, and it felt oddly frigid as he watched the scene before him. The trees' branches were thinner above the clearing, allowing the moon to infiltrate the dense canopy and illuminate the macabre scene. The yokai stood above Mamiru, lifting her blade for the final strike._

"_**Remember, Ryuuji. A human must never die while an ayakashi lives. Onmyoji never hesitate when a comrade is in danger, our dedication toward other's lives is what makes us better than those wretches..."**_

"_Garo!" Ryuuji called, leaping forward as the memory of his mother's words broke him from his paralysis. The yokai turned to see the source of the voice, then leaped back several yards to evaluate what threat he posed._

_She crouched in the shadows, so he could only see her silhouette edged in the soft glances of moonlight that played across the clearing. Garo surged forward, jaws open and claws extended._

_The ayakashi just chuckled as she watched the enraged youth's attack. "Oh? So you killed the ol' puppet wretch, huh? Well, without a leader, I have no reason to fight you. Enjoy your evening, you're lucky I'm letting you go..."_

"_Wait!" Ryuuji shouted, darting forward as he called Garo back to him. _

"_Ryuuji, let it go!" Mamiru ordered. The other's voice stopped him dead in his tracks with the image of the various wounds that undoubtedly riddled Mamiru's body. Turning around, he saw Mamiru attempting to stand, but the effort was a weak weapon against fatigue and blood loss. Ryuuji sighed as he realized Mamiru would die without his help._

"_**Comrades first, always..."**_

_'Fine, mother...' Ryuuji murmured grouchily to himself as he let Garo flow back into its water cask. He strode toward Mamiru, removing the medical supplies from his cloak. _

"_My hand is the worst, I burned the ends of the wound closed with my power, but it started bleeding again..." _

"_Grabbing that dagger the way you did was stupid." Ryuuji glared as he treated the wound as best he could. _

_Mamiru winced as his wound made contact with the bandage. "Not as stupid as blindly charging into an ambush. As for the dagger...it was an ayakashi too, I had to destroy it along with the other yokai that wielded it, otherwise it would have gotten away..." The boy stopped his explanation as he watched his scowling comrade bandage his wounds. Mamiru held onto his second worst wound, a deep slash on one of his legs, trying to reduce the bleeding. "Don't worry about the third yokai, the reinforcements will find and kill it."_

_Ryuuji tightened the bandage hard, but only enough to cause Mamiru a bit of temporary pain. He smirked inwardly as he was rewarded with a grimace from his annoying comrade. Ryuuji started bandaging Mamiru's leg wound, vaguely wondering if he had enough medical supplies to stop the worst of Mamiru's bleeding. If he didn't, it would be a good excuse to leave Mamiru's wounds untreated so the pest could bleed to death. That would be a suitable punishment for such a stupid statement. Ryuuji wasn't serious about doing that, of course, but Mamiru was being far too careless about the final yokai's need to be slain. "Easy for you to say, you'll die if I pursue that wretch."_

_Mamiru grinned and nodded in agreement. Another flicker of anger began to rise inside Ryuuji as the other continued to make light of the enemy's escape, but he quickly killed the said flicker. He worked quickly and a little more roughly after deciding Mamiru deserved the harsh treatment. Unfortunately for Ryuuji, he had brought extra medical supplies and had enough to keep Mamiru from bleeding his corpse dry. After the first aid, Ryuuji pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, hoping for the sake of his patience the onmyoji on the other side would pick up soon. _

_On the second to last digit in the number, Ryuuji noticed the button wasn't glowing. He tried pressing it, but it was jammed tight and obviously broken. Without that button, he couldn't hit the digit needed to complete his phone call. He held the device under the brightest shaft of moonlight he could, and he saw no apparent way to fix the defective machine. _

"_Before you ask, mine's even worse off than yours is." Mamiru replied, dangling his own mangled cell from two fingers. "The yokai broke it."_

"_Damn it!" Ryuuji snarled as he smashed his phone against the nearest tree, trembling as he let the dead machine fall amongst the grass. _

_Mamiru blinked at the younger boy's fit, allowing a short, weary sigh escape his mouth. "You know, you could have tried calling the police or the ambulance or something before killing your phone..."_

"_Any number I could call requires a one, a six, or a four, and those buttons were completely ruined. That machine was useless to me."_

"_Ah...that's nice. But if you don't bandage your shoulder, you're gonna die."_

_Ryuuji looked down at his slashed shoulder and started grumbling under his breath. Mamiru helped the younger boy bandage his injuries the best he could with only one arm. The night grew colder, and they took turns as the sentry in case of another ayakashi attack. They each leaned against one side of the largest tree they could find, wrapping their cloaks tightly around them to ward off the cold. They would have climbed a tree so that they could have a height advantage if attacked, but they couldn't risk worsening their wounds and lack of energy. _

"_Take the first shift." Ryuuji ordered as he leaned against the rough bark of the tree. Mamiru shrugged in response and took something out of his pocket before relaxing against the tree's side. Ryuuji watched as the other's face began to glow with the reflection of an electronic device's light._

"_Turn off your ipod, you're going to get us killed if you don't pay attention during your watch."_

"_Oh? You expect us to be able to kill the big bad yokai in our condition?" Mamiru smiled. "Sorry, but I chased those things all night, I want to enjoy myself. I'd probably fall asleep without something to do anyway."_

_Ryuuji glared, but he didn't want to waste his energy arguing with Mamiru. It wasn't like he had the right to criticize Mamiru's stupidity when he himself had ignored Mamiru's warning about the ambush. So, the boy just closed his eyes, hoping to catch as much rest as possible... He spent the next minute or two wishing he hadn't lost his temper and charged into the yokai's ambush. If he had listened to Mamiru, then they wouldn't have to spend the night stranded in this cold, hard, ayakashi ridden forest..._

Ryuuji blinked as the breeze changed, blowing strands of his raven hair into his eyes. Brushing them aside, he continued striding along the stony mountain path.

Time drifted by like a frigid, hollow breeze with little acknowledgment from the onmyoji boy. As the trail steepened even further, he realized that several hours had passed and they were already nearing their destination. The idea of talking to Kiwayo again unsettled him. For all he knew, the she would decide it was far too late to help Mamiru and destroy him to keep his 'condition' from 'spreading'. She had already voiced that desire, so it may be only a matter of time before she took the situation into her own hands.

But Mamiru was running out of time, and Ryuuji's options were running thin. The old onmyoji already knew about Mamiru's condition, and her experience was vast. Even if her judgments were unpredictable, she was the only one Ryuuji could turn to.

Ryuuji climbed the first heavy step of the ancient staircase winding up to Kiwayo's cabin. He frowned as he felt a raindrop collide with his hand, and he glanced back at Mamiru before continuing on. It would be best to arrive before the coming storm unleashed its fury.

_Slowly, his consciousness swam to the surface as if summoned by the elusive sounds his mind sought to place. Something annoying prodded his face, causing Ryuuji's vision to clarify, blacken, then clarify again. Finally, clarity remained as he kept his eyes open. They narrowed as the boy located the obvious source of his irritation, the cheerful Mamiru reclining about a yard and a half away in an old wooden chair. Ryuuji tried to push himself upward, but his arm protested with vindictive agony. The boy sank back onto the bed as he tried to figure out what in hell was going on._

"_I woke you since Granny said you should be tired of sleeping by now." Mamiru smiled. "Don't rip your stitches out, though, or she might cut your arm off instead of mending it again."_

_Instead of immediately gracing his comrade's words with a reply, Ryuuji let his dark eyes roam the room. It was a little cluttered and old looking, and in some ways like an abandoned cabin. But even if the room was disorganized, it showed no evidence of the excess dust or decay that indicated neglect. "Where are we?"_

"_In a cabin further up the mountain. Granny and her shikigami brought us here to treat our wounds."_

_Ryuuji turned toward the older boy, who obviously wasn't letting his wounds make him cross. "Granny?" Ryuuji asked. Mamiru said 'shikigami', so that probably meant that he was talking about an onmyoji. He didn't think any onmyoji actually lived on this mountain, though, so he had no idea who 'Granny' could be._

"_You are to call me Kiwayo san." A thin, cold, feminine voice said. "You seem to be one who tries to be competent, so I won't accept 'Granny' from you." _

"_Aa?" Ryuuji murmured as he looked to the room's entrance. A tall, thin woman stood in the doorway, cloaked in garments that seemed to be an older version of the current onmyoji style. Fatigue lines adorned her pale face, which was framed by strands of her snowy hair. She was obviously old, but her demeanor was shared by many of the Keikain clan's elite yokai slayers. Apparently, she was strong in spite of her age, which, in Ryuuji's mind, combined with the mention of shikigami to prove that 'Kiwayo' is an onmyoji. Vaguely, Ryuuji wondered how old the other was. He was guessing about seventy years at least, but he wasn't good at determining these things, so he ignored his slight curiosity._

_Instead of replying, Kiwayo ignored Ryuuji in favor of ordering Mamiru. "Can you cook?"_

"_Usually, yes." Mamiru smiled._

"_Usually? I'm not even going to ask...make breakfast, and don't ruin my kitchen!" _

_Ryuuji resisted the urge to smirk as he recalled a few of Mamiru's past kitchen catastrophes. The other was generally able to make basic meals, but sometimes he made the stupidest mistakes imaginable when it came to food. Right off the top of his head, Ryuuji recalled Mamiru making the oven explode, though not even Mamiru figured out how he did that. There was also an episode where Mamiru microwaved a container covered with tin foil, and _then_ there was the time he left plastic on top of a very hot stove. Mamiru didn't notice his mistake until the plastic container melted. Thankfully, such accidents were uncommon._

_Mamiru's smile broadened as he rose and exited the room._

"_I thought I should tell you first." Kiwayo said as the other left, calling Ryuuji's attention away from his thoughts. "Mamiru is going to die..."_

…_**...**_

…_**...**_

_**Preview of Chapter 2:**_

"I told you, didn't I? There is no solution." The old one said as she casually reclined in her chair. Kiwayo's countenance was frigid as always, as if she was completely unaffected by her death prediction and proposal. "I will express the same option as before: allow me to take your brother's life. As it is now, you are only extending his misery to soothe your guilt and pride."

Mamiru sat emotionlessly throughout the entire conversation, thinking nothing of Kiwayo's calculated execution offer. Huyu, Kiwayo's fanged rabbit shikigami, had taken up residence on Mamiru's lap. The boy absently stroked the creature behind its long ears, but Huyu seemed to enjoy the attention even if it seemed rather hollow. That probably meant Mamiru's gesture was far more endearing than anything Kiwayo ever offered. Huyu's sadistic smirk widened as he turned his head toward Mamiru and pawed lightly at the boy's onmyoji cloak. "Eh, c'mon, Mamiru san! Say 'I'm sick an' tired o' chasin' the shadow of some non existent cure.'"

Ryuuji cut his adopted brother off before he could honor the shikigami's request. "One of the yokai from the group that infected Mamiru escaped. Help us find and interrogate her, and we will be in your debt."

"Ya think she'll know some Mamiru-savin' fact? Interestin' conclusion..." Huyu grinned. "What d'ya think, Kiwayo san?"

…...

…...

Thanks for reading! Please review with questions, comments, etc. It helps me write faster and improve, lol.


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